Pilgrimage image of Our Lady of Altagracia arrives at the Vatican

Vatican City.- In a powerful act of devotion and symbolism, a pilgrim image of Our Lady of Altagracia—spiritual patroness of the Dominican Republic—has reached the Vatican as part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations. The image, created by artist Ruddy Taveras, was carried on foot by four Dominican pilgrims over 200 kilometers along the historic Via Francigena from Radicofani to Rome.

This spiritual journey was organized by the Alejandro E. Grullón E. Foundation for the Museum of La Altagracia to promote Dominican Marian devotion and raise international awareness of the Camino a La Altagracia (CALA), a 122-kilometer pilgrimage route in the Dominican Republic. Along the way, the image was blessed at four papal basilicas, reinforcing the nation’s ties with the universal Church.

Upon arrival in Rome, the pilgrims were received by the Dominican Republic’s ambassador to the Holy See, Víctor Suárez, and were welcomed at St. Peter’s Basilica. The initiative, blessed before departure by Bishop Jesús Castro Marte in Higüey, highlights the growing importance of religious tourism and showcases the country’s rich spiritual and cultural identity.